Friday, November 7, 2008

Tough Decision...Again

Every once in a while, a story comes along that simply forces you to stop and think. It forces you to think about your day, about your decisions and how you conduct yourself.

Tonight, while eating dinner, I was watching the news (something I do quite regularly). There was a story about this fellow, Nick, who had a birth defect that has been a complication his entire life. While there is a fancy name for the condition, it really doesn't matter here. Basically, a thick web of flesh and nerves ran down the back of his legs. They could not be straightened. He "walked" with extreme difficulty...he basically couldn't. His life was more or less going to be spent in a wheel chair. It finally reached the point where Nick made a very tough decision - take the leg off.

After the amputation, months went by. Despite the prosthesis and excellent care, he was still having trouble - with his other leg. So, Nick made a decision that few people could ever make. He told the doctors to take the other leg. So they did. Soon, he will have to learn to handle not one, but two, artificial limbs.